Opinion: Why TVS should have given Tanveer Dakar shot

Tanveer won a free entry for next year’s Dakar after finishing third in India Baja - the highest classified rider without past experience of the prestigious cross-country rally. The initiative was launched by Dakar organisers ASO with the aim of getting a third Indian into the event.

However, the initiative merely provides a free entry, with the onus on the winning rider to find a bike to compete with.

Given that Tanveer has been a factory TVS rider for several years and proved his mettle in both India and abroad, it was expected that the Indian manufacturer would let him ride one of their bikes.

He impressed on his first international outing in Merzouga Rally, finishing 27th. Moreover, he recently claimed his second successive Raid de Himalaya title to assert his status as an upcoming star.

Barriers to entry

There would have been both financial and operational challenges involved in Wahid’s Dakar debut, with an extra rider requiring a bigger service crew.

But through joint financial and technical support from both TVS and Sherco, it would have been feasible to add a fourth rider in the line-up.

Santosh’s case

TVS was in a similar situation when it first began its partnership with France’s Sherco outfit. CS Santosh was making waves in the Indian cross-country scene, making him an obvious candidate for a Dakar drive.

However, TVS decided not to let Santosh take part in the South American rally, forcing him to go his way. He eventually arranged enough funds to hire a customer KTM bike, becoming the first Indian to take part in Dakar in 2015.

From a marketing perspective, TVS missed out on a massive opportunity as they could have taken credits for supporting India’s first Dakar rider. But instead he ended up with rival Indian manufacturer Hero when it announced plans to enter cross-country rallying in 2016. 

Preparing Tanveer for Dakar

TVS remains keen on making Tanveer India's next Dakar rider, but wants him to be fully prepared before making the plunge. The company plans to give him further experience of international rallies before a planned Dakar outing in the future.

"Abdul Wahid Tanveer is one of our champion riders.  He has been performing exceptionally well and has won many accolades for TVS Racing," the company said in a statement.